Sudden Changes
by Jocknerd23
Summary: We all go through that time in our life when we have to leave behind our childhood and advance towards adulthood on a roller-coaster of hormones and voice cracking. Just how does a half demon hit puberty? The answer, not all that subtly.
1. Chapter 1

**New story idea that hit me while I was groaning about being bored!**

**Disclaimer – Negima and its characters do not belong to me in any form what so ever. If they did the ending would have included more answers to my endless amount of questions –mutters darkly-**

Soft rustles shift the bed sheets, twisting and coiling as the body beneath fights to be set free, grumbled curses joining in when the task becomes too impossible.

With one last cry of frustration the plain sheets give in, splitting in half with a loud tear as nails jerk the fabric in different directions. The once trapped body stills, jagged breaths the only sound as their mind struggles to comprehend what just happened. Pale, long fingers shake as they move away from the ruined sheets, moving closer to anxious eyes.

They're the same pale digits she has always known. The only difference now is the small tremors present, stilling only as the fingers curl around the sheets.

**Stage One**

The first thing that entered Setsuna's mind when she drifted into consciousness was that her eyes were burning. They stung with a familiar pang of pain she related to a lack of sleep, her eyelids acting as sandpaper. With a clumsy roll she shifted to lay on her back, her arm automatically moving to cover her surprisingly sensitive eyes.

Stray raven strands spill onto her sharp feature, their teasing touches only adding to the dark-haired girl's uneasiness. Everything was putting her on edge. The sun's few beams, which managed to penetrate her blinds, were too bright, her hair was treading a trail of fire ants on her skin and her head was swimming with overwhelming noises and smells. She wished it would all just stop.

The abrupt flooding of crimson only registered when it became harder to breathe, pale limbs forcing themselves into a jerky jolt, specks of blood flying out to stain the already marred sheets.

"What?" Setsuna mumbled, her fingers trailing along her bottom lip, the lower flesh gaping with already drying blood around it. Stumbling onto her feet she rushed to the bathroom, fingers never leaving her mouth.

Blood, that was her first thought as she angled her head to the side, studying her face. A thick trail ran down the corner of her mouth, spots already dry as Setsuna peered closer at the bitten wound.

She curled her lip into a half-hearted sneer, eyes widening as they catch a quick flash of sharpened canines. Hesitantly she tugs her lip up gently, using her other hand to touch the tip, flinching at the unexpected sharpness.

"They were never this long or sharp before…"

Shaking her head slowly Setsuna backed away from the mirror, mentally reassuring herself that it was just a detail she overlooked before – the headache's severity the only reason behind why she managed to puncture her lip. It was just one of those days, except… she forgot about the torn sheets just two metres away, laying limply on her bed.

Unfortunately Setsuna's day wasn't getting any better as it progressed. When she went to lay out her uniform for the day she found it was shorter then she remembered, her skirt climbing dangerously up her thighs and shirt suddenly a midriff, thankfully Mana left a spare uniform in their room so she borrowed her shirt to avoid any embarrassment; the skirt a bit too large.

All minor set backs were soon forgotten as she continued her daily routine. However they came to light again after her practice swings, the shower and post teeth brushing alerting her to a new development.

Pale digits skim over the sealed flesh that is her lower lip; where there once was a gaping wound is now a neat thin line. Before she could explore further a round of excessive thuds brought her out of her thoughts.

"Setsuna!"

"Asuna don't you think you're being a bit-"

"I'm trying to get us to school on time brat."

"I'm sure Secchan has a reason for running late."

School! Black hair whipped behind the girl as she rushed around her room to get her shoes and sword, hopping towards her door where Asuna and Negi were still arguing behind.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't notice the time," she panted out, straightening from her bow once her left shoe was firmly placed on and her presence was noticed. Standing upright she found her hair falling over eyes, crossing her eyes she realizes that she forgot to tie it up. Oblivious to the lack of talking suddenly Setsuna quickly put her hair up into a low pony, not wishing to waste time on setting it in its correct position.

"You look… different. Have you been drinking your milk?'

"Huh?"

The dark haired girl tilted her head in question to her friend, opening her mouth to ask Asuna if she could rephrase her question but finding a different set of words taking their place, " Have you gotten shorter?"

Quickly after the words left her mouth Setsuna snapped her mouth shut, blood rushing to her ears when she realized what she said. She didn't mean to say that but the orange haired girl did seem to be shorter. In fact even Konoka who always stood taller than her was now tilting her head to peer at her.

Flailing her arms around Setsuna tried to save herself from Asuna's blank stare. "It just that you've always been a head taller than me but now we see eye to eye!" The silence continued awkwardly until Konoka giggled softly, breaking the tension and effectively taking some of the weight off Setsuna's shoulders.

"I think you're the one who grew Secchan," the girl said, an amused smile on her lips as she was forced to tilt her head to look at her childhood friend. "Yeah! It seems you've been eating those veggies!" Asuna chimed in, slapping Setsuna's back. The girl hardly shifted under the force. "See, eating your vegetables do help you grow," Asuna said smirking down at Negi, who huffed in return at the obvious jibe. Joining in with her friends Setsuna smiled sheepishly, "I guess I finally hit that growth spurt." With that the group made their way to school with only Asuna and Negi's banter filling the air.

Class 3-A was as vibrant as ever, perhaps even more so with graduation in only a few short weeks. Time has flown by since the return of Negi and his students from the magical world. Chao's last gift to Asuna was the chance to graduate with the rest of her class and to enjoy her youth before Negi and herself had to fully embrace their new roles in the magical world. No one but a select few knew about her disappearance but it didn't really matter now that she was back.

"Girls!" Negi screamed desperately, his new height achieved thanks to puberty hardly making any difference in his task of reining in his students. They only stilled when a high pitch whistle cut through their talking and grabbed their attention, courtesy of Class rep.

After smiling at Ayaka thankfully Negi turned to his students cheerfully, "Good morning everyone," waiting for the girls to finish their echo he continued on, " I know you all are very excited about the nearing of graduation but I think it's important that I also remind you that with graduation drawing closer so are the final exams." The class rippled with groans and protests, Asuna's own mumble, "Why didn't she return me to the time period after exams," leaving Negi to sweatdrop.

It took some time but eventually the girls calmed down and settled into a relatively calm lesson, starting up again once the bell for the end of the lesson chimed. Laughter and light teasing filtered through the room during the break, bodies moving between desks as they talked to friends. Setsuna was rubbing her temples when a shadow fell over her desk.

"I see that you've finally crossed the roommate agreement," Mana's eyebrow rising as she stared at her shirt presently on Setsuna, a smirk forming as the girl shuffled uneasily. "Sorry," wincing at her voice cracking," I needed clothes that fitted. I'm going through a pretty… late change," gesturing to her body awkwardly as her ears started to glow red.

Mana narrowed her eyes slightly at the last words, looking at Setsuna before subconsciously drifting her gaze to Eva who was already staring back. Nodding at her roommate the gunslinger walked away, waving off Setsuna second apology and simply responding that she'll add it to her tab.

"So the time has finally come… " The blond vampire murmured under her breath, eyes flashing with an unidentifiable emotion before returning back to its blank state, the dull orbs never leaving Setsuna's white knuckle grip on her desk.

When the last bell of the day was signalled Setsuna let out a relieved sigh. Her body was taunt and unnerved. She could feel eyes on her, burning holes into her back; she needed to get out the room. The day behind her desk taking its toll as her muscles twitch, seeking for release.

They continued to pull and tighten even when she was in Eva's villa and training had begun. Only loosening as Asuna and her moved to their own spot for sparring. Left. Right. Down. Thrust. The methodical movements bringing a grin as she sparred with Asuna. She felt the release she craved, the blood pumping freely as her muscles spurred her into action. Twist. Stab. It was almost if she could hear Asuna's heart. It would be just so easy to stop it. Thrust.

Then it all went silent. The voices that were shouting faster and harder quietened and the only heart she could hear were her own. Setsuna blinked her eyes, shaking her head to clear the fog that settled without her knowing. Everything was so soft and muted.

"Setsuna?"

"Um, Setsunaaa…"

Peering down to where the sound was coming from the dark haired girl was confused to see a flustered Asuna. Her orange hair was fanned out and lips parted as she took in deep breaths, cheeks painted faintly with pink. "I give up, you win," she chuckles, "I couldn't even see you at the end."

The haze was fully gone as Setsuna's mouth dropped open. She was straddling Asuna. She was on top of Asuna with her sword pointed at her heart. Processing the last thought specifically she jumped up, scrambling to help Asuna up and apologizing at the same time.

Rolling her eyes Asuna squeezed Setsuna's hand in reassurance, "I'm fine. I'll just count this as returning the favour from when I got power happy during the Mahora Martial arts tournament." Not fully satisfied Setsuna gripped Asuna's hand with both of her own, unconsciously lowering her voice into a husky tone as she spoke, "I really am sorry. I would never intentionally hurt you Asuna, ever."

Asuna Kagurazaka felt her cheeks go a flamed, the dark haired girl's gaze passionate as she tries to convey her deep regret for her actions. Before Asuna could stutter out her reply Kazumi and Haruna were shoving Setsuna away from her, their arms thrown over her shoulders, matching devious smirks on their faces.

"Well I must say Setsuna, you are one sly dog."

"Wha-"

"I always pegged you as one of those star-crossed lover types. Believing in fate and destiny, specifically towards Konoka."

"What are you-?"

"I believed that too Paru!" Kazumi looked to Haruna with a mock shocked expression, " but obviously along with this new growth spurt," both girls now staring appreciatively at Setsuna's sharper features and height, causing the girl at question to blush horribly under the perverted scrutiny. "Our little Setsuna has broadened her scope."

Setsuna covered her face out of horror, cursing the pair in her mind as she heard her ojou-sama and classmates laugh at her embarrassment. The previous haze that left returning slowly as embarrassment started to simmer into anger, muscles twitching sporadically.

At first the girls didn't notice as they were too caught up in their discussion at Setsuna's sudden transformation, all sharing their opinion of what they thought, a surprising amount offering that they did indeed think she has a certain aura about her now that made her attractive. Only Eva kept an apprehensive eye on the half demon, her shoulders were trembling.

"Better watch out for Asuna stealing your woman Konoka!'

The laughter was grating, each note drumming into her skull as Setsuna shook her head, recognizing what was happening. Her heart was pounding in the exact same rhythm that it was during her spar with Asuna, she was losing control, the red haze clouding her thoughts. She bit her tongue, hoping the pain would shock her back but it just tainted her mouth with blood. Her hands shook, tremors quaking each digit as her nails inched into length.

"Setsuna?" She couldn't hear the voices, only the roaring of the blood in her ears.

"Everyone back away slowly."

"What? Why? What's happening!"

"Just listen to me!"

Everyone stilled as Setsuna finally lifted her head up, dark bangs brushed to the side slowly as if the motion was foreign, revealing dark eyes with white rimming the iris. A smirk followed, eyes drifting to take in every person in the group, pausing on Konoka before moving again, absorbing all their faces.

"Now, now Eva-chan. That face isn't very becoming of a fine lady such as yourself," the half demon murmured huskily, enjoying the collective shudder it invoked. "I'm sorry if I worried you all but this one is rather stubborn about letting her true nature come out to play. I can assure you that in no way am I harming her, she's just having trouble adjusting to her demon half," a pale hand waving towards her body.

"So you're the demon crow inside of her? The part that gave her the white wings?" Konoka asked slowly, wary of the girl who looked so much like her Secchan yet wasn't. The girl smiled, " Yes. At a certain time in a demon's life they go through a transformation that takes them into adulthood, with adulthood coming more power and changes." Her smile dimmed, eyes finding Mana's, " however for half demon's the normally painless transition isn't the same. They have to struggle with their primal instincts and sudden adaptations," gesturing to her sharpened canines.

The group relaxed their stances, reaching the conclusion that this side of Setsuna just wanted to help her other half. "Oh and before I forget, I really am sorry Princess, I didn't expect to come out at such a time," the demon half smiled charmingly at Asuna, causing yet another round of flushed cheeks. Returning her focus back to Eva she schooled her features into a more serious expression, " I really hope you are willing to help her with this, she needs someone to teach her how to fight the urges."

The puppet master nodded her consent, their silent communication speaking more then the group would ever know. With that confirmed the demon waved politely before closing her eyes, leaving Setsuna to fall limply to the ground, unaware of what just transpired.

**And that's it for now! Yes I know it is short but bear with me. Drop a review and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism welcomed. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Look! It's an update! Thank you everyone who reviewed last chapter, I worked hard to get this chapter up as soon as I could so please read! –Bows-**

**Disclaimer – still no mail from Ken Akamatsu to say I own Negima and his characters.**

**In regards to the time frame of when the story is set it is after the New World Arc however I've changed things around a bit to make the story work better so don't expect Nagi just yet or Negi to be working on the magical world relations just yet – Asuna has come back to graduate with her class.**

_Thoughts_

Setsuna winces as her muscles creak, exhaustion hitting her after hours in the resort under Eva's "training". She shudders at the memory of the dark puppet master's smile, the agony that soon came after it the reason why she was still making her way out of the newly formed crater.

"I see you have recovered," the blonde vampire comments, wandering back into the room, her expression one of boredom, never changing as she stares at the half demon crawling out of the still smoking crater. Setsuna mumbles a half-hearted yes, eyes watering from exertion when she finally reaches the top of the crater. Her pale hand moves to grab the loose marble but small fingers, curling around the wrist, stop its progress.

"Good. I think its time we got a little more serious in your training." The grip turns painful as the fingers tighten, the devilish glint in her eyes meeting terrified orbs.

**Training with the devil**

When the dark haired girl limps into class she is met with sympathetic looks and soft smiles, trying to look reassuring but failing, seeing as how none of them aside from Negi and Asuna knew what Evangeline was capable of.

Speaking of the two, who seemingly could read minds without the use of Pactio cards now, they wandered towards her as if they heard their names. "So the desert or snowy mountains?" Asuna asks, shivering at her own recollection of the snowy mountains. "Both." Negi and Asuna wince in unison. "You shouldn't push yourself too much," the teenage teacher says, "remember we can help you if things become too unbearable."

The half demon just nods, smiling to show her appreciation at the gesture. Satisfied that his student wasn't going to pass out and was well enough Negi turned his attention to the rest of the class, who seemingly started another round of strip poker without him knowing. "Girls!" Allowing her head to fall down on her desk the dark haired girl turned to face the window, staring out at the World Tree through heavy eyes. "Puberty sucks…" Setsuna remarks quietly.

**Two weeks earlier**

"So you're telling me that I'm going through..." Hands go up into the air in a weak attempt to make sense of the situation, "demon puberty?" A heavy silence falls on the group as everyone stares at the other, not sure how to approach the situation with an obviously distraught Setsuna in the mix.

"It doesn't seem to be that bad Setsuna," the ever valiant Negi tries first, "your other half says that it will just be harder to control your more basic urges-" Setsuna holds her finger up to stop him, her other hand massaging her temples. "My other half?" She asks slowly, scanning the squirming forms of her friends, Asuna particularly who was flustered.

"She's a demon stud," Haruna quips helpfully, joined by Kazumi's hum of approval, clearly remembering her husky voice and dark lidded eyes. "My guess is that you're going to be controlling **all** of your basic urges," the reporter chimed in with a smirk. Setsuna rubbed her face, suddenly extremely exhausted. Ignoring the lecherous comments she asked, "How basic are we talking?'

"Primal blood lust." A collective gasp was taken in after Evangeline spoke, "That feeling you got while fighting Asuna? The urge to just stop **Every. Beating. Heart** in this Villa? That is what you will be fighting against." The half demon's face turned stoic, not betraying the war of emotions going on under the surface, going over the implications of what the vampire was saying.

"So I'm fighting to not become a monster," Setsuna replied dully, a bitter chuckle following. Pale fingers that were massaging her temples drift north as their owner shakily brushed through her hair. "I guess I couldn't choose both the sword and happiness huh?" Her laugh weak even to her own ears, eyes never leaving Evangeline's.

"Don't be stupid."

"Eva!" Asuna hissed, head twisting to face the smaller girl, face shocked and repulsed at the lack of sympathy – though really she didn't know why she was so surprised. "I didn't say you had no hope of reining in your urges," the blonde waving off Asuna's warning, "but I'm not shocked that you heard it like that with your melodramatic self. You just merely need to learn some self control, and I'm going to teach you how."

Setsuna knew she should feel relieved at the prospect of not having to leave her friends but the tone of Eva's reply…"What's in it for you?" Fangs shone in the light as they appeared casually within Evangeline's smirk, "all I request is that you give me your blood after each training session."

"Eva-" Negi started, stepping forward to intervene as he recalled his own experiences as a blood bank but was stopped by Setsuna's question, "why?" Dark eyes peered curiously at green, "I understand Negi because you thought drinking his blood would break your curse but my own is nothing but a mixture of a human and a crow demon," shame seeping into her voice as she goes on, "tainted blood seeing as how I was cursed with white wings."

"Yes, " Evangeline drawls out, "your white wings, they are rather unique aren't they?" With that Evangeline promptly twirled and walked towards the exit of the Villa, waving everyone away with a simple hand movement and a snarky, "Now you all can leave, I got what I wanted. Chachamaru, give Setsuna a training schedule."

Chachamaru bowed in apology for her mistress's rude dismissal, repeating the gesture but more politely, reminding everyone that there was school tomorrow and that they should be leaving anyway. Regaining their bearings the girls started to disperse, those aware of Eva's true powers stopping to pat Setsuna's shoulder as they left and the others commenting on how nothing was ever boring with their class.

Konoka and Asuna led Setsuna out of the Villa gently, the half demon still dazed on what exactly just happened. One minute she had Evangeline and the next thing she knew, the girl was gone. Coming out of her thoughts she became aware of the light chatting happening around her, observing her friends commenting about the day and their carefree smiles. She allowed a small smile of her own to form, _nothing ever seems to faze them. I tell them I have wings, its cool. Add blood lust? We'll deal with it after we discuss what's for dinner tonight._ Shaking her head slowly the girl lets loose a soft chuckle, speeding up her pace to join her friends, laughing louder when she's greeted with Asuna and Negi arguing over what Konoka should make.

The brunette looks over at her friend when she hears the familiar laugh and smiles, relieved that she was coming out her slump. "I'm making whatever Secchan wants for dinner tonight!" She declares, tucking her body into her close friend's side, taking her arm hostage. Asuna and Negi pout, knowing that they were beaten, the boy recovering from his dejection first to smile at his now taller friend who was blushing lightly under the attention.

"Fine but only this once since Setsuna had a rough day," Asuna said teasingly, hip checking the girl and messing Negi's hair much to both the two people's displeasure. In mid protest Setsuna stopped, her smile faltering as it suddenly hit her, the realization enough to cause her to stop walking altogether making Konoka nearly trip. "What's wrong Setsuna?" The boy asked, concerned at the amount of colour rapidly draining from his friend's face. "I just realized… I'm going to be training with Evangeline…"

The air around the group seemed to have suddenly chilled as they all shuddered at what the term 'training' meant when it involved the undying mage.

**Back to the present**

"Setsuna-san?"

At first everything was blurry, the form of whoever was calling her an undistinguishable mess but as she adjusted to being conscious the features became more defined. "Nodoka-san?" Setsuna murmured, her voice raspy from just waking and eyes half lidded as she peered at the girl next to her.

Nodoka blushed, lowering her head so her bangs fell over her face completely, "You fell asleep. The next teacher will be entering soon so I thought I should wake you." Feeling her own blush start to form Setsuna brushed her hair with her fingers trying to put any stray strands neatly away as she straightened up. "Thank you, I didn't mean to fall asleep but the training schedule takes some getting use to," the dark haired girl smiles to show her appreciation, aware of Konoka and Asuna's worried glances from the other rows.

Nodoka nods shyly, aware of what she meant, having seen Negi fall asleep while standing at the beginning of his own training. Once she felt Nodoka's gaze drift away Setsuna turned to look at the rest of her classmates, avoiding eye contact with the smirking Evangeline.

Things have gotten better since she started her training. She found herself waking up less in the middle of the night with her sheets torn and her new height and build that was a hindrance no longer effected her fighting style as much as she learned to use her new reach. Her fighting style the first thing she worked on after the abrupt change, her body shivering as she remembered Evangeline's delight in exploiting the new hole in her defence when she realized that the girl wasn't use to her taller form.

The newest development so far besides her blood lust and height was an increase in her senses. She put it down as crow demon ability as it was mostly her eyesight and smell that improved however not without its drawbacks. Her contacts couldn't hide her white eyes anymore as her eyes kept dilating without her command, making it necessary for their removal before she blinded herself with the constant shifting. The smells were also proving to be … distracting.

Everyone seemed to have their own unique scent; being in close quarters made mixing inevitable and it gave her a headache at the barrage of all the smells. She could identify Asuna, Konoka and Negi individually by now because they were always with her but the rest of her class was harder to distinguish at this point. Though she could identify Nodoka's slightly, the girl's scent unmistakable including a musky undertone of old, worn pages. Setsuna smiled at the thought; _of course our bookworm would have books,_ so caught up in her thoughts she didn't see the purple haired girl turning to face her again or her name being called.

"Miss Sakurazaki?"

"Huh?" Setsuna oh so eloquently said, her gaze moving to the middle age man now standing in front of the class, his arms crossed above his bloated stomach. "If you are quite finished staring at your friend I think we should carry on with the lesson." The class erupted into laughter, catcalling and whistling following after, mortifying the girl as she slowly slid down her seat, giving a sheepish nod to gesture she was quite done.

Once everyone's attention was back on the teacher and Setsuna felt safe enough to crawl out from hiding nearly under her desk she silently pretended to take down notes, her mind screaming at why she always seems to find herself in these situations, especially of late. Unknowingly Setsuna scratched the back of her neck as she pondered this, a small red rash present on her normally unblemished skin, the hairs on her neck standing up.

* * *

"Come on Setsuna! Is that the best you got?" Evangeline taunted, her hand pulsing with magic as she stared down at the smoking form of her newest apprentice, her body covered in bruises and smudges of blood from the blow to her head. Setsuna growled, the white surrounding her eyes expanding until there was almost no brown, canines flashing as she snarls.

Evangeline sighs and flicks her wrist, capturing the struggling half demon in a web of invisible strings, tightening as Setsuna thrashes wildly trying to get to the vampire. "The whole point of this is to get you to start fighting without losing yourself. Rushing in gets people killed and right now I'm considering killing you myself," the undying mage says, mildly impressed when Setsuna ignores the blood seeping into her Hakama as the strings tighten further, cutting into her flesh and enraging the girl further. Seeing that there was no progress to be made today the vampire quickly chops the back of the dark haired girl's neck, causing her form to go limp.

"Chachamaru."

"Yes mistress?'

"Dump her into the hot springs again, it'll wake her up and clean her up in one go."

Bowing to show her acknowledgment first Chachamaru then silently moved to gather the half demon into her arms, carrying the girl without trouble towards the hot springs. The journey was done with an air of practice as the robot stripped the bleeding girl before throwing her unceremoniously into the water. When Setsuna broke to the surface gasping and obviously still alive she turned and walked away, ignoring the muttered curses and threats towards her mistress.

**Well I hope this wasn't too much of a wait! I'm telling myself that I have to update at least every two weeks so you can expect a chapter around that time frame but you'll have to be patient since I'm in the middle of exams right now.**

**Thanks for reading and I hope you'll tell me what you think. Next chapter – a deeper insight on training with Evangeline.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the delay! Hopefully things will be picking up now that the real fun is starting. Also big shout out to all those who reviewed, followed and favourite, I'll work extra hard to get chapter four out faster so I won't keep you waiting.**

**Disclaimer – I do not own Negima or any of its characters.**

**Shinata-Riyoko, thanks for the great help!**

_Thoughts_

Surfacing with harsh coughs and splutters, Setsuna struggled to stay afloat and cursed at the robot and her mistress. The matted raven locks clinging over eyes were not helping matters as her glaring became ineffective with her eyes half squinted and red due to the hair worming their way into them. "This isn't funny," the half demon muttered, mostly to herself, seeing as how Chachamaru had already exited the room with not so much of a glance in her direction. "Throwing people, no, unconscious people into the water and thinking they won't drown is absurd."

The dark haired girl moved to wash her body, continuing her silent brooding, once stripped and armed with soap and a cloth, taking care to tread lightly over her still open wounds. Setsuna winced as the cloth crossed over what was an especially tender cut on her arm; the skin was jagged from Eva's claw-like nails. Flexing her pale arm to see the extent of the damage she was relieved to see that it was only slightly sore now, the warm water easing most of her muscles aches and pains.

It was getting harder to ignore the pain after each session; the blonde dark mage seemed to make it her personal mission to inflict as much pain on her as possible without actually killing her. Her hand moved slowly to rest on the nape of her neck, unconsciously covering two faint dots, _or at least to leave enough blood in my body to drink afterwards._

Setsuna shook her head to clear her thoughts before dunking her head under the water when she felt it wasn't enough. Surfacing shortly after, she wiped away the water and raven strands from her face, the girl's mind still plagued as she mentally ran over the recent training session. _I've improved in the sense that it took longer than before to reach my boiling point_, Setsuna summarized, frowning in thought, _however I still can't control my blood lust and as a result I was knocked out. _Touching her forehead gingerly, where her face met the floor, the girl flinched at the unexpected jolt of pain at the light touch, _again._

Sighing the dark haired girl lowered her hand, eyes unfocused as she considered the situation she was in. Her training was practically suicide and was only taking small; almost minute steps towards helping her. Her senses were getting stronger but at a great toll, distracting her from her studies and duties, a faint blush appearing on her normally pale cheeks as she recalls sniffing Asuna and Konoka once. They threw off her focus; the scents were setting off headaches or well, just putting her into awkward situations. It was frustrating and frightening all at the same time, she felt powerless at the lack of control she had over her body.

At the thought of having no control Setsuna's chest rumbled with a quiet growl, nails digging aggressively into her palm, drawing blood as she allowed her anger over the recent events to wash over her. Distracted by the dark loathing, she failed to see in the water the rash on her neck progressively deepening in colour, becoming an almost purple red and spreading further across her neck, disappearing as they neared her shoulder blades.

**Sacrifice**

Setsuna climbed out of the hot spring slowly, feet padding softly on the tiled floor as she made her way to the rack with a towel and robe draped over, most likely left by Chachamaru. Once dry and dressed the dark haired girl stopped to inspect her features in front of a fogged mirror, dark eyes meeting her gaze evenly. The left of her face held a blue hue, the bruise spread from her cheek to her forehead, probably caused when Evangeline slammed her face to the ground. _Not that I completely blame her since I was getting out of control at that point, _tracing the light scabs forming from dry blood on her arms as she briefly pieced together what happened from her recollection, having not much to work from as her memory waivers when her demon half takes control.

The half demon smiled bitterly at that, mildly impressed to see that her canines could now be seen when she smiled normally. Deciding that she did enough admiring she turned and trekked out the door, walking into a dimly lit hallway. The path was familiar now after practicing for weeks in this specific dome with Evangeline, the room she was journeying to a fixed location.

She knocked firmly, her knuckles beating twice before falling down to her side as she waited with a rigid posture for the order to enter. When it eventually came she eased the door open silently and stepped into the room, hyper aware of the eyes on her and her surroundings. She wasn't letting down her guard until the last minute, having learned the hard way that Eva took her training very seriously. Thinking of the undying mage, she could smell her; the distinct scent of sulphur and rain dew, an odd combination. The sulphur chalked up to being unpleasant because she was evil and well the rain dew because she did have a rather hefty arsenal of ice spells.

Abruptly the dark haired girl stopped walking. Holding her breath quickly as the hairs on the back of her neck and arms rose in alarm, eyes darting around the room before narrowing in front of her where a single, almost invisible trap wire was present; the light of the fire briefly illuminating the wire, allowing for its presence to be announced quietly. Taking care in order to walk over the wire, the girl calmly stepped over the trap, faintly proud that she didn't fall for the set up.

"I'm disappointed that you didn't trip the wire Setsuna, I wanted to see mistress's new blades tested," Chachazero commented from her perch on the armrest of the velvet couch, a small child's teacup resting in her hand. Setsuna rolled her eyes at the doll, glad she didn't give the murder happy doll any satisfaction. So caught up in her small victory the dark haired girl failed to notice the second wire just a few short metres in front of the first, causing the girl to trigger it and unleash a volley of arrows from the walls. Reacting quickly the half demon jumped back, rolling out of the firing range, hissing as an arrow nicked her cheek as she flew back in a hurry.

"Impressive. I was so sure you were going to be impaled by those arrows," Evangeline drawled out, her small frame stretched lazily across the couch, smirking at Chachazero who clearly enjoyed the show, chirping her own comments of forgetting there was a second wire. Setsuna stood half bent with a hand clutching her shirt, fighting to keep her heart rate down and preventing any bouts of stupidity like say, getting angry and thinking she could take the blonde. "But I guess its all the training you have been doing that enabled you to dodge my newest toys," Setsuna sweat dropped at the word 'toys'.

Straightening from her half bent stance the half demon cautiously made her way towards the still smirking girl, wary of her surroundings. "Kneel," Eva commanded, her eyes losing their playfulness, becoming cold. Setsuna knelt in front of the couch, one knee pressing into the plush carpet and the other up as a resting place for her arm, her neck presented to the dark mage. The dark haired girl sensed Chachazero moving out of the room, catching a flash of green out of the corner of her eye before refocusing on the velvet couch, never wavering away from the intricate wood work of the frame even when Evangeline moved to sit upright. Pale fingers danced over her flesh, tracing previous marks. The half demon barely flinched when the fingers moved to grasp her chin and tilt her head, warm puffs of air now on her neck.

The bite came without warning, fangs sinking in quickly, the pain sharp as Setsuna tightened her grip on the plush carpet. Each tug of her blood renewed the strength of her grip and work of the muscles in her jaw, clenched shut to avoid any hissing or cursing. Time seemed to move slower but eventually it was over, the fangs leaving her neck with only small pinpricks of blood as the visible trace that they were there. Forced to look up by the vampire's tug, Setsuna stared blankly at the cold emerald orbs, her stoic mask giving nothing away. Evangeline's thumb ran over her cheek bone, pressing on the bruise to draw a twitch from the dark haired girl before brushing on the somewhat wet blood left from the arrow's nick. Falling back the smaller girl brought her thumb to her mouth, her eyes never leaving Setsuna's as she licked her thumb clean, a faint smirk present as the half demon failed to stay entirely composed, her body tense and eyes flashing white.

"Are we done?" Setsuna questioned stonily, her voice scratchy as if she hadn't used it in days. Receiving a simple wave the girl slowly made her way onto her feet, steadying herself for the light-headedness that was to come. "That will be all for today, tomorrow we will move onto the next part of your training," nodding to show she heard, Setsuna then moved to exit the room, bringing the sleeve of her robe to wipe away any blood left on her neck. Once the door was closed the girl allowed her exhaustion to show, slumping her form and wincing from the sudden pain making itself known in her body. Dragging her feet Setsuna made her way to her bedroom outside of Mahora, barely shutting the door before allowing her body to sink into the mattress.

_Ojou-sama and Asuna must be eating dinner right now with Negi-sensei and Chamo, _Setsuna thought drowsily, a small smile on her lips at the image of Asuna stretching over to hit Negi or Chamo for something she deemed worthy of a beating. Yawning the girl's eyes closed, _what I would give to be eating Kono-chan's cooking right now._

* * *

"How many times do I have to tell you? Stop trying to steal my underwear!"

"Ah! Ane-san!"

Crash. "It's time to die vermin!"

"Have mercy!"

"How was your day Negi-kun?" Konoka asked sweetly, folding her apron and placing it to her side before sitting at the table to eat with the teenager. "It was rather uneventful. I got chased around the campus again by some girls and stopped the twins from bungee jumping off the world tree," the boy stated casually, eating his food and ignoring the chaos happening around him as Chamo flew passed his head and into the window with a disturbing thump. Konoka giggled at the admission, dishing her own bowl of rice as Asuna stormed pass with a bat, "still as popular as ever it seems."

"Actually things seem to be calming down ever since Setsuna has reached puberty," Negi joked, rubbing the back of his neck, "when she walks in the attention immediately shifts from me." The brunette felt her smile fade as she thought of her childhood friend who would normally be sitting next to her but was out training. "Secchan has gotten popular hasn't she?" She murmured, unknowingly turning her head to stare at the empty space next to her. As if sensing the need for a distraction Asuna plonked down next to Konoka in a huff, muttering darkly about a certain ermine before lighting up at the sight of food. Turning her attention to her ravenous friend Konoka smiled lightly, moving to dish up for the girl.

Once Asuna was served, the friends settled back into a jovial atmosphere, talking about their day in between bites and sharing stories, forgetting about the twitching mess that was Chamo in the corner of the room. "Man I don't know what we'll do without you Konoka," the orange haired girl beamed, rubbing her stomach contently. "A great dinner as always," Negi chimed in, picking up the dishes to help clear, "I'm sure Setsuna is missing your food." The room stilled as the boy realized his mistake, sending a panicked expression to Asuna who was too busy facepalming at his blunder. "I mean! I'm sure she'll appreciate your dinner more then ever tomorrow! When she comes home. Because she was away and missed you and your food."

Konoka laughed at her friends, grateful that they would go out of their way to cheer her up and try filling the void Setsuna left, "It's okay Negi-kun, I know what you meant," the girl smiled, quelling his anxiety. "It's just very different without her around," the smile now dimming. Asuna and Negi shared a sad smile before the taller girl wrapped her arm around the brunette's shoulders, giving her a comforting squeeze. " Like Negi said, Setsuna will be home tomorrow! Giving him a run for his money again," a playful wink occupying the statement. Laughing at the visual of Setsuna's signature blush and stuttering the group forgot about the previous tension, oblivious to Chamo's whimpers of pain asking for help.

* * *

When Setsuna woke up there was a sharp pain shooting all around her body, muscles creaking as they shifted to sit up. The dark haired girl groaned as she climbed to her feet, ready to take on the new day, the thought that she was returning home for the weekend her motivation. _I wonder if I should feel bad that I'm ecstatic at the fact that it's Negi-sensei's turn now, _Setsuna pondered distractedly, throwing on her hakama and gi with some difficulty as her arms throbbed from the gashes she'd received yesterday. Staring at the gashes the dark haired girl decided she shouldn't feel bad since she paid her dues for the week; besides Negi willingly allowed Evangeline throw him around, Setsuna trained with the dark mage because it was her only option.

A crisp knock sounded on the door before Chachamaru poked her head around the corner, her face as expressionless as normal. "Mistress has told me to inform you that training today will be done in the garden today." The half demon nodded slowly, not sure if she liked the sound of the message. Not waiting to see if Setsuna had any questions the green haired robot disappeared, leaving the door half opened, her footsteps fading as Setsuna continued to stare at the door in confusion. Why was the venue changed? What did the girl have planned? The answers evaded the dark haired girl as she walked towards the garden, her body tensed at the prospect of a new form of torture. _Maybe she's going to teleport me to the desert again, _Setsuna thought, _while attacking me, _paling at the chance of survival.

Before she knew it the young woman had reached the 'garden', the term used loosely as it was more of a jungle in appearance with a clearing made in the middle for a small tea canopy. The trees stretched to the heavens with heavy, dark limbs covered by leaves of every shade and small animals took refuge under their cover, the braver ones risking a peek at the strange occupants in the middle of their home. The tea canopy housed Evangeline, the vampire sipping her cup, the blonde looking quite relaxed under the sunlight and surrounded by the exotic vegetation. In front two mats were placed on the ground, positioned a good few metres from the canopy's stairs and the path Setsuna was walking on.

"Get comfortable Setsuna, we will be here for quite some time," gesturing towards one of the mats with a flick of her wrist, her eyes glinting with something Setsuna couldn't fully identify but feared nonetheless. Lowering her body onto the mat, legs tucked underneath in the seiza position she often found herself in when meditating, Setsuna brought her head up to look at Evangeline silently. "You will be meditating today," the dark haired girl waited for the catch but it never came. "And?" She tempted, raising a disbelieving eyebrow at the dark mage, unable to see how this session would not end in her being hurt in some way.

"And that's it. I told you that training today will be different," Evangeline said, a smirk playing on her lips, "I'll just be enjoying my tea, taking a break from tossing you around. It gets tiring." Her sigh following the statement indicating just how tiresome she found it all, something that made Setsuna's eye twitch,_I__ get tired of being tossed around._ Noting that the girl was done with her and was now talking to Chachamaru, Setsuna resigned herself to her fate and focused on the task at hand. Breathing in deeply, then exhaling softly, allowing her eyes to close as she centered herself, unaware of Evangeline's eyes suddenly on her. Everything was dulling, becoming nothing but distant sounds and scents as Setsuna inhaled and exhaled, the light chattering of the animals fading into silence, fresh dew nothing but an afterthought. Inhale. Exhale. The air moved past Setsuna's lips in an invisible puff, her shoulders uncoiling as she drifted further into the meditative state.

Time passed peacefully as everything was silent.

Then blood sprayed out of Setsuna's mouth through an agonized scream.

**Thanks for reading! Please continue to tell me what you think; reviews give me fluffy warm feelings inside as well as provide motivation!**

**P.s don't hate me too much for the cliff hanger.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I am deeply sorry for the long wait of this chapter... Especially since the previous chapter was left on a cliffhanger. A big thank you to Shinata-ryoko who is always there at odd hours of the night editing my documents and making them legible! You are the best.**

**Disclaimer : I own nothing. **

_Thoughts_

**Memories**

When Setsuna opened her eyes the first thing she saw was darkness. It stretched out, painting everything in its grim colour, leaving Setsuna with a deep sense of loneliness, a loneliness she hadn't felt since she was young. Her body dangled in the air, spinning abruptly as a result of any movement. "This isn't right," the girl muttered, "whenever I meditate I always bring myself to the open garden in Kyoto. It's like -"

"This is someone else's mind?" A voice completed, seemingly magnified, a contrast to the silence before. The half demon spun wildly, seeking out the source of the voice, but was greeted only with the familiar growing darkness. "Who's there?" Setsuna growled out, fists clenching as she tried to stay calm, her mind running various scenarios of how to counter the unknown enemy. "You should know who I am Setsuna Sakurazaki," the voice had an almost teasing quality to it, "after all –"

"I'm you." Setsuna stumbled back, her head jerking violently as a body appeared in front of her, seemingly appearing out of thin air. Long canines gleamed through an amused grin, crimson eyes darkening as they took in the disoriented dark-haired girl. Setsuna shook her head as she took in the white hair, crimson eyes and sharp talons. "No," she whispered, her eyes now outright staring at the wings of the other girl, unfurling almost mockingly.

"You can't escape the truth any longer, it's time to sink or swim Setsuna."

** Dwelling in the past**

"No!" Setsuna howled, charging at her demon half, only to find her face smashed against a dirt road, with her arm twisted painfully behind her. "I'll never be you," she thrashed about, trying to pull free from the tight grasp, but buckled as a knee jabbed into the middle of her back, forcing her face further into the ground, "sometimes we don't get to make our own decisions, you of all people should know that." The demon ground her knee deeper into Setsuna's back, emphasizing her point, relishing in the feeble attempts to dislodge her weight. "We aren't all given the privilege of free choice, sometimes that choice is stripped away." Setsuna felt a sharp pain as her head jerked upwards, her lips pursed tightly in an effort not to give the demon the pleasure of hearing her scream. "And now I'm going to take yours away," Setsuna bit her tongue as talons slowly entered her scalp, drawing blood, "I'll force you to face your inner demons; the past that you have so desperately tried to forget. " With that said the demon released Setsuna, jumping back to avoid the back kick unleashed by the dark-haired girl, before disappearing, but not without a triumphant laugh.

Setsuna slammed her fists against the ground, her body shaking and features darkening as she came to terms with the situation. Everything was blurring together, the lines of reality and subconscious non-existent as the pain became all too real. "No wonder you wanted me to meditate Evangeline," she chuckled bitterly, slumping to the ground, her eyes finally dragging themselves from the dirt to realize that the darkness had been replaced with a forest and dirt road. The forest loomed ominously above her, trees twisted and bowed, bark darkened by a harsh winter and the foliage dampened, debris of leaves and branches scattered around. The dirt road carried on for what seemed like eternity, disappearing as the forest became denser. It was strange, everything held an eerie feeling, yet it was almost familiar, the patches of sky and chatter of small creatures part of a distant dream. Or past. Begrudgingly, Setsuna stood up, wincing as her back protested at the action. There was no use in lying around and feeling sorry for herself, the only way she was getting out of this nightmare was through facing her demons, those who dwelled in her body and in her past.

_How long have I been walking for? _Setsuna wondered; odd strands of hair plastered against her neck and forehead, the running perspiration acting as glue. It couldn't have been more than an hour since the dark-haired girl had set foot on her journey down the dirt road but it felt like much longer. The road opened up into a wider path and the trees parted to let the sun beat down mercilessly on Setsuna's form, slowly draining the girl of her energy. Using the sleeve of her gi, she wiped the sweat away from her eyes, squinting in an effort to see further into the distance. There was a faint outline of a wall coming into view, _hopefully a sign of a village._ Setsuna, encouraged by the new sight, pushed her movements into a slow jog, closing the distance steadily.

With the wall in full view the dark-haired girl slowed until she was standing motionless in front of the intimidating wooden structure. The wall loomed as high as the trees surrounding it, the tops of each separate pillar -making up the wall- sharpened into spiked tips. Subconsciously Setsuna hugged her body, her knuckles whitening as she fisted the fabric of her gi. Every fibre in her body was screaming at her to listen to her instincts – which said that this place was dangerous and she should get away now. But another part of her was moving her feet forward, pulling her closer to the wall. Close enough that she soon found her hand resting against the structure, her fingers tracing the rough bark. Absorbed in her exploration, Setsuna missed the jutting shard of broken wood, her finger spilling blood as she snagged the tip across the splintered shard. "Shit!" The half demon hissed out, drawing her finger back, glaring at the offensive shard.

Setsuna's glare slowly slackened as her eyes dilated and became distant, her expression turning blank as she stared intently at the blood on the wall. Small beads of crimson crawling into the wood's cracks, staining the tawny colour a dark burgundy. All she could see and smell was the blood. Blood staining the wall, like before…

**Harsh gasps rang out in the night as a tiny body -a girl- hurled itself through a village, tripping and stumbling over roots and bumpy soil in her haste to escape. Her body, a scattered mess of cuts and bruises, pushed desperately to run faster. Blinded by the combination of exhaustion and the night's darkness, the girl found her body crashing towards the ground. Her face slid painfully across the rough soil and small rocks, small incisions created on her face. With shaky arms she pushed her body upright****, ****but crashed back down, her body still shaking from exertion.**

**"She couldn't have gotten far!"**

**"Don't let her get away!"**

**The girl pushed again, with renewed vigour, her body scrambling up. A dozen larger bodies broke into the path, their faces hidden by the shadows. The flame torches shone menacingly, casting light only over the mob's sweeping black wings and the girl's retreating back and white hair. Jeers and taunts followed her as she ran, her body ducking and weaving as she turned abruptly into the foliage. The roots snapped under her feet and her breath came out faster, more ragged. **

**Suddenly the foliage ended and there was nowhere to go. The land was cleared of any vegetation and levelled to support the wooden wall the girl found in front of her shaking form. Driven by desperation the girl threw her body at the wall, using her hands to claw at the wood, trying to find a hold. The skin at her nails were ripped and blood stained the wood as she continued her fruitless climb, her hands slipping, causing her to crash back down as soon as she created any distance between her form and the floor. Tears and blood began to mix as the girl choked out a sob, her body unable to get up as she fell once again.**

**"This is the end of the line Hanyo," a deep voice boomed, their words met with a loud roar of approval. "You have caused enough trouble in this village, it's time you accepted your fate," the girl closed her eyes, curling her body into a tight ball as if to block out what was happening. The mob closed in on the girl, circling around her, trapping her. **

**"Mother"**

"Mother," Setsuna whimpered unintentionally, her eyes slowly returning to their clear-eyed gaze, the fallen tears drying on her cheeks. Drawing back her hand, noting that it was trembling, Setsuna focused on the blood. Wondering just what exactly she saw and why she called out for a woman she had no memories of. _Was the little girl supposed to be me? If so, why don't I have any memories of this place? _Setsuna asked herself, her eyes moving over the wall, trying to will the answers to her questions from the structure. _In any case I won't get any answers from just standing here. _Decision made, Setsuna unfurled her wings – albeit hesitantly – and clenched her hands into fists to still the trembling. Then the dark-haired girl found her body crossing over the wall, her wings snapping downwards powerfully, carrying her body easily over the spikes and into the overgrown foliage.

As soon as her feet touched the floor Setsuna retracted her wings, not wanting them exposed any longer than she could get away with. Her new surroundings were once again strange, yet familiar. The upturned thick roots of the trees and overrun footpath reminded her of the pursuit she saw just moments ago. Gazing at the wall Setsuna thought, _this must have been the path the girl – I – took. _She then turned back to stare into the forest, _which means through this forest is the village. The village where I grew up yet have no memories of. _With a renewed sense of purpose, Setsuna pushed forward.

* * *

"It seems like Setsuna won't be coming to spend the day with us after all," Asuna murmured as she stared out the window of her dorm room, observing the sunset and all the students making their way back to their rooms. She was worried; the sword-wielding girl had never broken a promise to Konoka before. Even when she was exhausted from training with Evangeline, she would drag her body to Konoka and their room just to keep her promise of having dinner with them; which normally resulted in Konoka gently reprimanding her for pushing herself. Turning away from the window, Asuna turned her attention to said brunette, who Setsuna could never say no to. The girl was doing a good job of acting like she was unaffected by her protector's absence, cheerfully dishing up dinner for Negi and laughing.

However, now and again Asuna would see her eyes drifting away from Negi and towards the door, as if expecting the door to open at any moment. When the door remained closed the light in her eyes would dim faintly. Then her mask would be up again and she would look at the young boy with her usual sunny disposition. Asuna released the sigh she was holding; frustrated that she couldn't help her friend any other way, but to pretend that everything was fine. There was no need to add unnecessary sorrow; Setsuna's absence was most likely because Evangeline was just having fun torturing the girl. With that decided Asuna put on her own cheery expression and joined her friends for dinner, making sure to fill the night with small chatter and good natured teasing.

* * *

The forest opened up into a large clearing, small houses scattered around the open space with fenced off areas where the cattle must have been housed. The houses were simple in design, much like everything else in the village. Tree stumps were placed in a circle around a rock formation, the ash inside suggesting that it was where the fire was lit each night. As Setsuna walked further into the village she saw a blacksmith stall, curved swords and clubs hanging on display behind the stall and other weapons resting on the counter. The food vendors were obvious with their stock also on show, with the produce on the counters or strung up for full display. The dark-haired girl avoided eye contact with the freshly gutted rabbit.

With her concentration on avoiding the rabbit's lifeless eyes, Setsuna failed to take notice of the doll on the floor. This led to the girl kicking the doll, sending the ragged form skirting across the ground, creating a small dust cloud in its wake. Bending down to investigate, what she had hit the girl took in the faded appearance of what must have been a young girl's doll. An eye was missing from the dirtied face and her straw hair was tangled into knots, the red dress of the doll torn as well. Setsuna stroked the stitch work that made up the doll's smile, her eyes glazing as she tried to place why the doll seemed so familiar.

**"Momma, why can't I play outside with the other kids?" Large red eyes peered up innocently in question, white locks -pure like snow- framing the girl's face. The mother looked down at her daughter with a pained smile, lips trembling as she forced them to stay upwards. "You are momma's little helper. If I didn't have you here, how would I get all these chores done before your father gets home?" The little girl pouted, her feet dragging patterns on the floor as she thought over what her mother said. She was torn between her duty of making her mom happy and wanting to go out and have fun like all the other children.**

**"But it's lonely with just you and me. Father hardly ever plays with me like you do."**

**A small whimper escaped her mother's lips, but she quickly covered it up with a strong hug, bringing her daughter close to her chest. "You are never alone when you have me baby girl, always remember that." The little girl wasn't really sure what her mother meant but she nodded, because that made her momma happy, and she liked it when her momma hugged her. She always felt warm and smelt like those flowers she found outside in their garden, the ones her mother added in their food to make it taste extra good.**

**A few days later the girl awoke to a surprise. Her mother came to wake her up like she normally did every morning; they washed up together before going out to the garden; however this time she came in holding a small doll in her hands. "I spent the last few days sewing you this, Setsuna. Now you don't have to feel lonely, because she will be your friend when I'm not around." The white-haired girl took the doll carefully out of her mother's hands, her smaller hand caressing the soft fabric of the doll's red dress and black button eyes.**

**"What are you going to name her?"**

**"Tomodachi"**

Setsuna hugged the doll close to her chest, a faint floral scent entering her nose as she buried her face into the ruined dress. "It's been a while Tomo," the dark-haired girl murmured, a watery smile tugging at her lips as she examined the doll as if seeing it for the first time. Looking up Setsuna searched her surroundings, if her doll was lying out here, then that meant the house she used to live in must be somewhere close by. Her grip on Tomodachi tightened as she thought about confronting her past. Everything was happening so fast, yesterday she had no memory of anything about her past, yet in a short period of time she found herself reliving her childhood in vivid detail. She was chased out, isolated from her clan, but most importantly she had a loving mother. Why would she forget about her mother? The only good thing in her entire childhood? _I only knew about the isolation because when the Shinmei-ryu school took me in, they told me they found me wounded and alone in the forest, near Kyoto. _

Standing up, with her doll held firmly in her hand, Setsuna started forward. Various houses passing by as she walked through the village, searching for the house that would strike a chord within her. The half demon was losing hope of ever finding her home, when she finally spotted the house. It was the only house on the outskirts of the village, the house much smaller than all the others, almost isolated from the village. There was a small flower and vegetable garden at the side, the fence overrun with weeds as they battled to reach the vegetation. The wooden door was slightly open, the breeze causing the hinges to squeak as it moved back and forth slowly. Setsuna stopped just in front of the door, peering into the dark house, anxious of what she might find inside. As her hand reached out to push the door open, a soft voice met her ears, the voice singing a sweet lullaby. Subconsciously, Setsuna moved to follow the voice, her feet taking her through the dark house, as if she had travelled the path many times before. With her hand clenched around her doll and the other on the smooth wall, Setsuna crept through the house, using the voice and walls as a guide, unaware of the sudden change in time as outside the window, stars became scattered in the sky, shining, the sky darkening to a deep blue.

The voice became louder as Setsuna saw a faint light peeking through an open doorway. The words more distinctive as she crept closer, the light splashing across her face as she peered around the corner, curious to see the source of the gentle voice. She was met with a younger version of herself, serenely tucked into her bed, her eyes drooping as her mother stroked her hair and sang softly to her. The woman was dressed in a simple dress, but it did little to hide her beauty. She had pale skin with midnight locks that fell pass her shoulders in waves, her amber eyes staring down at her daughter with pure affection. Her nose was slender and her full lips were pulled into a soft smile as she continued to sing. Setsuna moved her hand away from the wall, pale digits coming to rest over her heart as it twinged with a deep pang of loss. Her mother was so close, she was in arm's reach, but she couldn't hold her or tell her how much she wished she could remember her. Tell her that she loved her, that she missed her, even if she couldn't remember.

However, the scene and song did not last long. The light started to fade, drawing the young Setsuna and her mother into darkness. The wall Setsuna had been using as a guide just moments ago was gone and the house lost its warmth. The dark-haired girl forced her body to stay calm and used her senses to search her surroundings. There were no sounds, when suddenly a loud crash rang out. Setsuna dropped to the floor, her arms instinctively covering her head as an explosion of glass showered over her head. The darkness was suddenly expelled as flaming arrows entered through the broken window; the passage Setsuna once found herself in was replaced with the dining room. The dining room was up in flames in seconds, the smoke suffocating and dense as hungry flames devoured everything in its path. The half demon struggled to crawl across the floor, eyes watering and throat dry as she searched for an exit.

"Momma!"

Setsuna whipped her head to the side, following the direction of the young half demon's voice. The white-haired girl screamed desperately, before coughing harshly, a sign that the smoke must have reached her room. "Momma where are you? Momma I'm scared!" _This is the night when I was chased out, _Setsuna realized, an expression of horror painted across her face as she crawled towards her room. _Except they weren't intending to just have me exiled, _a knot of dread starting to form in the pit of the dark-haired girl's stomach, _they were planning to __**kill**__ me._

**Thank you for reading, please let me hear what you think!**

**JN**


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